Lake County Product Liability Injury Attorney
We are all consumers. Every day, our families use and rely on a wide range of products, such as the toys our children play with, the appliances, devices, and tools we use around the house, the car we drive to work, or the medicines we take. Since these items are on the market available for purchase, we understandably presume that they are safe and reliable. But too often, that presumption is wrong.
Just because consumers can buy a product, even if a government agency has given its seal of approval, does not mean that it can’t fail catastrophically. Every year, thousands of Americans are tragically hurt or lose their lives due to dangerous or defective products. These are not random accidents or the result of misuse. Instead, these incidents are a direct consequence of companies putting profits ahead of people by cutting corners and designing, manufacturing, or selling products that never should have been in consumers’ hands.
Lake County products liability attorney Kirk Moyer holds greedy or negligent companies responsible for the injuries and losses caused by their actions. Using his quarter-century of experience and success fighting for injured individuals and their families throughout Chicagoland, Kirk obtains compensation for consumers whose lives have been disrupted or forever changed because of a dangerous or defective product.
What is “Products Liability”?
“Products liability” is the term used for imposing responsibility on companies when the products they manufacture or sell injure a consumer. But that term is a bit misleading. People do not suffer injuries because of the product itself. Instead, they must rebuild their lives because of acts or omissions by companies that should have known better or that were otherwise negligent.
The fault may lay with a designer that developed the product poorly. Blame may fall on a manufacturer that made a mistake while producing the product. Perhaps a company failed to warn consumers about the product’s dangers or even covered-up and turned a blind eye to its risks.
Illinois products liability law allows consumers who were injured because of a defective or unsafe or dangerous product to seek compensation from designers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who negligently produce, distribute, or sell such goods.
Many types of negligence can form the basis of a product liability lawsuit. The three primary bases of most such claims are:
- Design Defects
These claims are based on whether a product could have been produced from a safer design without it losing its function or purpose.
- Manufacturing Defects
Even if a product is safely designed, it may be dangerous if it is not manufactured properly or according to the correct specifications.
- Marketing Defects
These claims include the failure to warn consumers about preventable and known risks. Packaging and labeling mistakes can also be the basis of marketing defect product liability lawsuits.